Choosing a great a salon and hair dresser can be tough, especially if you don't know what to look for. Use this handy-dandy checklist to see if your salon "makes the cut". (corny joke, I know. My sister and I call that "a mom joke". Sorry mom, love ya!)
Is it located in a nice/safe area of town? ~ Chances are you're going to be visiting the salon alone, and perhaps in the evening hours so it's best to choose a place with plenty of outdoor lighting, close parking and in an area with a lower crime rate. And speaking of parking...
Is there sufficient parking? ~ You don't want to to ruin your precious salon day by fighting over parking spaces or driving around endlessly looking for parking. I once visited a salon that had a parking lot for only 5 cars. 5 cars! I didn't see any parking on the street so I tried my luck in the "so-called" parking lot. I managed to find an itty bitty spot in the parking lot. Boy howdy! I was sweatin' bullets when it was time to come out! It was by the sheer grace of God that I managed to get out of there without hitting any cars. Needles to say I never went back there.
How does the salon look from the inside? If there's dust collecting on the product shelves, the look books are from 1986, there's hair all over the floor and mixing bowls with hair dye still in them, run...fast.
Is the front desk attendant friendly/knowledgeable/efficient? This is truly the best judge of how your going to be treated at the salon. You should be greeted with a smile, she should know exactly who you are seeing and for what service, her work space should neat and appearance tidy. If there's a bunch of hair dressers hanging around the front desk gossiping about how drunk they got at the concert last night and you wait until someone notices you, save yourself the heartache and just walk out the door.
How does the hair dresser look? How's his/her hair? ~ Hair dressers are known for being more "flamboyant", if you will, with their hair and fashion. No matter what style they choose, they should look well put together. Their hair should look amazing. Not nice, not good, but amazing. They are the professionals after all, shouldn't their hair look amazing?
How does the hair dresser treat you? They should also greet with a smile, perhaps offer you something to drink (if the front desk didn't already offer), ask in detail what you want from your style/cut/color, and generally be warm, friendly and perhaps even a little excited about the service. Your hair dresser should not be chit-chatting with other hair dressers during your service. That's just wrong.
Did your hair dresser explain how to style or up-keep your hair? Sometimes hair dressers think they're "pushing" products on you so they may not mention that shampoo that prevents color fading or the texturing spray you need for romantic, messy curls. Ask your hair dresser what you need and they should be comfortable showing and explaining how to use the products.
How do you feel after your service? Like a new woman. Like a weight has been lifted from your head. Relieved. Glamorous. Pampered. Pretty. Gitty like a school boy. If not, it's time for a new salon.
There are some women that will put up with the gossiping atmosphere, dirty towels everywhere, and long waits because the love their hair dresser and "only she knows how to cut my hair". Likewise some women will put up with mediocre hair dressers because the salon looks so pretty, fancy, trendy, ____(fill in the blank). Give them the boot. Trust me, there are many talented hair dressers in fantastic salons that are ready and willing to treat you like a princess.
I'm not one to follow celebrity fashion like a hawk, but when Hollywood gets all dolled up for an awards show, I'm like a moth to the flame. Here are some of my favorite retro glam pics from omg! from last night's show.
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